Truss.



F. A. LANE.

.TRUSS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1907.

905,890. Patnted Dec.8,1908.

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FREDERICK A. LANE, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

TRUSS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed July 31, 1907. Serial No. 386,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Truss, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trusses, and, among other objects, is designed to provide an improved mounting of the truss-pad upon the supporting belt, whereby the tension or ressure upon the body is substantially uniform upon all sides so that the pad will readily accommodate itself to the movements of the wearer, and thereby render the device comfortable and effective.

It is furthermore designed to have the pad cover a comparatively large area and to yield at the center so as to become dished or cupped when in applied position and thereby to encompass the injured portion instead of being forced into the same, as in the plug type of trusses.

Another object is to arrange for carrying a liquid medicament within the pad to effectively apply the same directly to the body of the person in a continuous supply without danger of an oversupply and to provide for conveniently charging the pad while on the person without necessitating the removal of the dedvice after it has once been properly lie FVith these and other objects in view, the

present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truss constructed and arranged in accordance with the resent invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectionaFview of the truss-pad. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the pad taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

In carrying out the present invention, it is preferred to have the truss-pad cylindrical in shape so as to avoid shar corners and edges, and therefore is provided with a strong, light and durable back 1, which is preferably circular in shape and formed of wood, soleleather, or other suitable material which possesses the combined advantages of strength together with lightness. Upon the inner face of this back is arranged a concentric series of tapered helical springs 2, arranged adjacent to the outer peripheral edge of the back.

Each spring has its narrow or tapered end next to the back with the end of the wire projected to form a pin or stem 3, as best shown in Fig. 2 and set snugly into the back so as to form a support to prevent lateral displacement of the spring.

As best shown in Fig. 3, it will be seen that the outer coils of adjacent springs are intercoiled, as at 4, and the outer terminal of each spring is bent or hooked about one of its own coils, as indicated at 5, preferably the coil next to the outer coil, whereby the outer ends of all of the springs are connected soas to obviate lateral separation or displacement. The outer ends of the springs are furthermore connected by means of a diaphragm 6, preferably of leather or other some such suitably strong and flexible material, the outer edge of which is folded over the outer portions of the outer coils of the springs and then stitched to the body of the diaphragm, as indicated at 7, in Fig. 2 of the drawing, so as to connect the diaphragm to the springs and also to serve as an additional connection between the outer ends of the springs. The springs and the, diaphragm are housed or inclosed within a leather casing 8, which fits snugly against the diaphragm and springs and also embraces the peripheral edge of the back, the edge of the casing being turned back upon the outer side so as to form a reinforcing band 9, and suitable fastenings 10 are set through the folded back portion of the casing and into the back so as to effectively connect the casing to the back. By this arrangement, the springs are efiectually housed against displacement and also covered so as to avoid contact of the metallic springs with the body of the wearer.

For supporting the pad upon the body of a wearer, I provide a suitable waist-band or belt 11, which is provided at opposite ends with buckles 12, and to each of these buckles a short strap 13, is adju'stably connected, and between the outer end of each strap and the adjacent side of the pad is an elastic connection, preferably in the form of a helical spring 14, best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The forward end of each spring has a rear end of the bulb 23. When pressure is loose connection with the ad, consisting of a hook or eye 15, carried by the end of the spring and engaged with an eye or perforate plate 16, applied to the outer side of the back 1 and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as for instance, by means of the fastenings 17, the outer end of the plate having the perforation being rojected beyond the periphery of the back so as to permit engagement therewith of the hook or eye 15. A casing 18, of some textile or other suitably flexible material embraces the spring and has its opposite ends connected, respectively, to the hook or eye 15 and the strap 13, so as to prevent contact of the metallic spring with the body of the wearer and also to limit the expansion of the spring. The springs 1 1 constitute the sole connection between the pad and the terminal straps of the belt.

To revent upward displacement of the ad, tiere is a strap 19, which is adapted to e passed between the legs of the wearer, the

forward end of the strap having an elastic connection with the lower side of the back of the pad, as described for the belt, the spring having a hook 20 for detachable engagement withv the eye or perforate plate 21, carried by the back and similar to the eyes or plates 16. The rear end of the strap is adapted to be detachably connected to the belt, through the medium of a buckle 22, hung from the belt adjacent to one end thereof. By this arrangement, it will be understood that the strap 19, may be adjusted to fit the wearer in a comfortable manner through the medium of a buckle 22, while the forward end of the strap may be conveniently disconnected from the pad by disengaging the hook 20 from the eye or perforate plate 21, whereby after the strap 19 has once been adjusted it is not necessary to interfere with the adjustment when removing and applying the truss.

In some instances, it may be desirable to have the pad carry a medicament for application to the injured part, and to provide for this contingency, I employ a flexible or elastic reservoir 23, located centrally within the pad, preferably in the form of a rubber bulb or nipple having a tubular stem portion 24, which issnugly seated within a central opening or perforation 25, formed through the front of the pad and held therein against inward displacement by means of an annular flange 26, carried by the stem por tion and bearing against theexterior of the front. Afilling or packing 28, of absorbent cotton or the like, is placed within the reservoir and the liquid medicament is introduced into the reservoir throu h the inlet opening 29 formed in the rear en of the bulb. The back is provided with a central opening 30, to give access to the o ening 29 in the bulb, and the inner edge of the opening-30 is beveled, as at 31, to form a seat for the applied to the pad,,the bulb or reservoir is compressed and the liquid medicament therein seeps out through the tubular stem portion and the perforation 25 and is applied directlyto the body of the wearer. Bythis arrangement of parts, it will be apparent that there is no danger of an over-supply of the medicament, as the latter is automatically supplied at intervals through the compression of the pad and the bulb or reservoir by movements of the wearer. Moreover, by having the rear end of the bulb or reservoir pierce the back of the pad, the medicament may be readily supplied to the bulb or reservoir by means of an ordinary dropper.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the device of the present invention ossesses several very important features of a vantage, one of which resides in the provision of the elastic connections between opposite sides of the pad and the belt, together with elastic connection between the lower side of the pad and the strap 19, whereby tension is applied equally to all sides of the pad, and the latter is always held firmly in place and is never tilted, rocked or displaced by unequal tension thereon. Another advantage results from the elastic nature of the pad, whereby the latter is held in snug en agement with the body of the wearer at a 1 times, even though the tension upon the belt may be decreased by the position of the wearer, and, furthermore, the truss is thereby rendered comfortable as the pad cannot become loosened and shifted. Another advantage results from the employment of the elastic bulb or reservoir forthe medicament, whereby the latter is effectively supplied to the body of the' wearer by the compression and expansion of the truss-pad.

As best indicated in Fig. 2, it will be observed that the filling 28 is comparatively loose at the rear end of the bulb or reservoir, so as to quickly take up the liquid medicament, while the filling in the neck ortion or front of the bulb is snugly or closel y-packed, so as to slowly give off the medicament and thereby prevent excessive escape of the latter.

What I claim is 1. A truss comprising a pad'having eyes disposed substantially diametrically opposite each other upon the back of the pad and projecting therefrom at the side edges thereof, a plate, and a spring helix located beyond the pad and connected to each end ofv the belt and having its forward end provided with a loop loosely engaging the adjacent eye at'the side edge of the pad.

2. A truss comprising a pad,'a supporting belt therefor, a spring helix forming the sole connection between one end of the belt and the pad, and a flexible tubular casing inclosing the spring helix and carried by the same and permitting the expansion and contraction of the spring helix.

3. In a truss, the combination with a pad,

and a supporting belt therefor, of elastic con nections consisting of springs constituting the sole connection between the ends of the belt and the corresponding sides of the pad, each elastic connection having adjustable engagement with the adjacent end of the belt, a strap hung from the belt and adjustably connected thereto, and an elastic connection between the front end of the strap and the lower side of the pad, said elastic connection having a detachable connection with the pad and located beyond the same.

4. In a truss, the combination with a pad having an eye projecting from the lower portion of the back of the pad, and a supporting belt for the pad, of a strap having its rear end hung from the belt, and a spring carried by the forward end of the strap and located beyond the pad, the outer end of the spring be ing provided with a hook detachably engaging the eye at the edge of the pad.

5. A truss comprising a belt, a pad, and opposite springs carried by and connecting the pad and having adjustable engagement with the respective ends of the belt and constituting the sole connection between the latter and the pad.

6. A truss comprising a pad, springs connected with the ends of the same, and opposite straps connected to the springs and adapted for adjustable connection with the respective buckles, said springs constituting the sole connectioi between the straps of the belt and the pa 7. In a truss, the combination with a pad, and a belt having buckles at opposite ends thereof, of straps adjustably connected to the buckles, a helix lying beyond the pad and connected to the forward end of each strap and having a loose connection with the adj acent side edge of the pad, a buckle hung from the belt near one end thereof, a strap having its rear end adapted for adjustable engagement with the buckle, and a helix connected to the forward end of the strap and having a detachable connection with the lower portion of the pad.

8. A truss-pad, having a back, a series of helical springs carried thereby, some of the pad at the opposite sides thereof, a belt having buckles at opposite coils of adjacent springs being intertwined, and a flexible casing inclosing the springs and connected to the back.

9. A truss-pad, having a back, a series of helical springs carried thereby, each spring having its outer coil intertwined with one of the coils of the next adjacent spring and then wrapped or hooked upon one of its own coils, and a flexible casing inclosing the springs and connected to the back.

10. A truss -pad, comprising a circular back, a concentric series of helical springs carried thereby, the outer coil of each spring being intertwined with one of the coils of the next adjacent spring with the outer extremity of the coil wrapped or hooked upon one of its own coils, a diaphragm covering the outer ends of the springs and secured to the outer coils thereof, and a flexible casing inclosing the diaphragm and the springs and ieciiired to the outer peripheral edge of the 1 1. In a truss, the combination with a per forate flexible hollow pad, of a perforate hollow elastic reservoir within the pad and adapted to contain a medicament.

12. In a truss, the combination with a hollow flexible pad having alined openings in the front and back thereof, of an elastic reservoir within the pad with its front end provided with a tubular stem fitted in the perforation in the front of the pad, and its rear end having an inlet opening alined with the opening in the back of the truss.

13. A truss-pad, comprising a stiff back having a central opening, a series of springs carried-by the back and arranged concentrically with respect to the opening therein, a flexible casing inclosing the springs and connected to the back, the front of the casing having an opening alined with the opening in the back of the pad, a reservoir in the form of an elastic nipple located within the pad and between the springs, the front end of the nipple having an open-ended tubular stem fitted into the opening in the front of the pad, and the rear of the nipple being provided with a perforation in communication with the perforation in the back.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. LANE.

Witnesses:

FRED R. SHEPARD, ROBERT L. MANNING. 

